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Started my hunt in my old spot but once again, nothing seen.
I did hear what I think must be a Red deer roaring for the first 1/2 hr of light.
Heard it one other year and thought it must be weird wild cattle.
Nothing else seen including a walk down the pig track as I call it a few km down the road.
Checked out another corner of the forest, a bit of a hike driving and so thick, I don't know how they could hunt it apart from walking on the roads.
Back into town and checked out the local dam that used to supply our water back in the day.
Checked out the town and a pie for lunch as I forgot to load my packed lunches.
Checked in to rough it in the motel and figured the roaring made it a worthwhile hunt.
I heard the choppers hit the deer again in the lead up to the rut so not expecting much.
Got a great pizza for tea so the esky and ice bottles will be useful to get the leftover pieces home.
Incognito as a non-hunting citizen but bike riders and a truck of workers roll in and other early rising hunters are heading out with me in the morning darkness.
Parked on an off-shoot track, further along, that will give better access to try and stalk down the roaring stag but you guessed it, silent and nothing but those white fkn cockies that bust me when walking that way.
Good thing with trees down everywhere in there is no keen poachers can drive the walking tracks, also no other hunters like last year when the deer were thin, maybe they gave up on the area that I was deciding to do, but it is just a great stalking circuit and could be productive.
I get to the last good spot that is getting thicker but mostly just brushy and blackberry patches in the native bush with scattered clearings.
Good for a long shot in if it presents.
Then I see a white ass fleeing and I ready myself rather than just watch them as in the past.
There are more, 3 or 4 tan does I think.
Not fleeing as in bolting like f__k, just slowly prancing away.
One stops sorta side on so I just let one go offhand, forgot to use the sling again.
Looked like they just ran off but not sure on one if it was 100%.
I mark the spot and range it at 130m thinking should I have tried to get to a tree support as they weren't panicked.
I make my way through the thinest berry batch and as I close in, I see movement and think of a bad hit.
I moove from tree to tree and see the doe lunge and dive into cover.
It didn't come out so I am scoping the brushes when it pops it's head up to look.
I had a tree support and shot in in neck from about 20-30m.
Job done and it's dead within a minute.
The first shot was a full on gut shot a long way back and came out through the rear leg meat area.
Was a lot of meat wasted and no rutting buck but a doe in the hand is worth 2 bucks in the bush and beggars can't be picky.
The blackberries caught my leg getting out and hands full with the hide, I had to just take an easy fall.
Sort of landing on the rifle so need to check it's sighted again, only just did that a few weeks back and didn't want to waste ammo.
I wanted another tanned hide for the other bay window and this one is matching but darker with the dark strip rather than my other pale one.
Even the skinning was messy as it has been so long, well over the normal 2 years between drinks.
Spent about 2hrs cutting bits of flesh off on the tailgate.
As expected, the special skinning knife thing is not in my pack, the bullet pin finder is but both pills exited.
Yesterday my more skinner specialist knife was in my pocket, but not today so the Herne special did it all and did a fine job.
Great that the deer still get to the spot and will never know if a buck was behind the does but I don't think so and it hasn't really kicked off.
The reds go off earlier, so it all ties in and we haven't had the cold spell that often hits at the start.
The 2 best mature bucks that I have seen were on the last day of the last deer season we had so I will keep chasing them when the crowds are gone back home.
I heard a chopper on the first morning but no shots were heard.
Seen one in the area when driving home that had outrigger bits sticking out on both sides, not sure if they are shooters.
I just got in before the people pressure and lucky to get a hunt in before the latest 1 in 20 year rain event so it's a great feeling to take a deer as well.
So buggered now, I have only just cracked my 2nd celebration beer.
Will put the neatest photo up, but even on her best side and all set up, it is like I said, messy.
I hope someone shoots a nice buck or stag somewhere and has a better story to tell.
Maybe your turn Sparta, after this rain and southerly weather it could be on.
Looks like my image is one size too big so it will have to come later.
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